Brookline Town Hall Employee Tests Positive For Coronavirus

BROOKLINE, MA — A town employee tested positive for the coronavirus last week, town officials confirmed to the Patch, but the town did not shutter town hall, instead, it followed protocol according to Town Administrator, Mel Kleckner.

Last Tuesday, a department of public works employee who regularly works in town hall tested positive for the coronavirus. It prompted town workers in that department return to remote working as health officials began contact tracing efforts. But, to the concern of some town staff, not all town hall employees were notified immediately. Some employees who were coming into town office for work told Patch they only found out about the positive test through word of mouth and were not made aware of any extra sanitization efforts or closure.

Kleckner said the town followed protocol.

"On July 28, we became aware that a staff member assigned to the Department of Public Works tested positive for COVID-19," said Kleckner in a statement to Patch. "As a result, the employee who tested positive was required to remain home until they're recovered."

Town officials said Director of Public Health Dr. Swannie Jett notified the 18 other employees found to have come into contact with that staff member to quarantine for 14 days from their last contact with the employee on July 27 or 28.

Officials told other department heads during a reopening working group the following week of the positive test. No other employees have tested positive, Kleckner said. And no other communication was sent to other town employees.

"Per town protocols, the areas where the employee had spent time in the preceding week were closed and deep-cleaned within hours of the town learning of his COVID-19 diagnosis," said Kleckner, who added that DPW staff transitioned to working fully remotely and then on Monday the department returned to 50 percent capacity in-person.

As of August 11 there have been 426 confirmed cases of Brookline residents testing positive for the coronavirus in Brookline since the beginning of the outbreak. Of those, 59 Brookline residents have died.

State guidance instructs employers to inform employees of their possible exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace but maintain confidentiality of the person or persons exposed.

According to the governor's website workplaces are required to establish a plan for employees who get ill and test positive for the coronavirus at work, and a return-to-work plan.

"When an active employee is diagnosed with COVID-19, cleaning and disinfecting must be performed," according to mandatory state guidance.

If the employer is notified of a positive case at the workplace, the employer shall notify the local board of health and assist the local board of health "as reasonably requested" to advise likely contacts to isolate and self-quarantine.

Testing of other workers may be recommended consistent with guidance or at the request of the local board of health, according to state mandatory rules.

The state website also asks that places of business limit visitors and service providers on site when an employee has been tested positive.

"Since gradually returning staff to Town Hall who had been working remotely, protocols have been in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate the impact should an employee test positive," Kleckner said. "Town employees have been and continue to be required to wear masks while in common spaces and while in contact with others, and advanced cleaning protocols are in place on a daily basis."

On Tuesday, Kleckner announced Town Hall, which has been largely closed to visitors, would start the reopening process, including a concierge in the lobby on the first floor.

Kleckner said because of the nature of the pandemic, the town staff will occasionally see positive cases.

"For that reason, we have extensive protocols in place meant to quickly identify positive cases and mitigate the risk to others," he said.

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